U.S. troops have begun building a maritime pier off the coast of the Gaza Strip to speed up humanitarian aid into the wartorn territory, White House and U.S. military officials say.

Researchers working near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem have uncovered a 2,000-year-old clay token they believe may have been used by Jewish pilgrims to exchange for offerings during visits to the Biblical Second Temple before it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, Christian Headlines reports.

In response to escalated attacks during the Passover holiday, Israel targeted multiple sites associated with Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon. Following these operations, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had successfully eliminated half of Hezbollah’s commanders in the region.

Protesters chanting “We won’t allow the abandonment of the hostages” and “their time is running out, a deal is on the table” scuffled with police near the residence of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and at least two arrests were reported.

Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has asked the US not to proceed with proposals to sanction the IDF’s Netzach Yehuda (Judea Forever) battalion for alleged human rights violations against Palestinians in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria).

As Israel observed Passover on Wednesday, its military stepped up efforts to pressure Hamas to free hostages during this holiday period as it prepared to invade Rafah, one of the last standing cities in the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s military is preparing to target what it describes as the final stronghold of Hamas in Rafah, a city in Gaza where over a million Palestinians are currently seeking refuge.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Hamas would experience “painful blows” as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) gear up for a significant operation in Rafah, Hamas’ stronghold in southern Gaza. Netanyahu, referencing the Passover, called for the release of 133 hostages held by Hamas.

Three pedestrians were wounded in a “ramming terror attack” in Jerusalem early Monday, but the terror suspects were detained after their firearms failed in what survivors described as a “Passover miracle.”

Following last weekend’s missile and drone attack by Iran and its proxies, Israel is reported to have launched an airstrike on a military base in Iran that used advanced missiles capable of evading Iranian radar, targeting a crucial component of the air defense system that safeguards Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Israel hit Iran with at least one missile early Friday in what appears to be a retaliatory strike after weeks of escalating tensions between the two countries, U.S. sources say.

The United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution on Thursday, which had broad support and aimed to grant Palestine full United Nations (UN) membership.

While the US has pressed Israel not to attack the remaining Hamas battalions in the Rafah area of Gaza (because of the potential for mass civilian casualties), the Biden administration is now reportedly willing to support a Rafah operation provided Israel does not attack Iran, the Jerusalem Post learned from the Qatari newspaper The New Arab.

The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to vote this Friday on Palestine’s bid for full UN membership. It is expected that the United States, an ally of Israel, will veto the request as it would constitute an implicit recognition of a Palestinian state.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has formulated a plan to counter-strike Iran and its proxies. However, the timing of this action remains undecided due to the complexity of the preparations involved, the Jerusalem Post reported.